LoungeMachine
01-19-2007, 02:08 AM
Senate Approves Ethics Plan to Ban Gifts, Travel From Lobbyists
By Jonathan D. Salant
Jan. 18 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Senate, making good on a campaign pledge by Democrats, approved ethics legislation that bans members from accepting gifts, meals and most travel paid for by lobbyists.
The package was approved by a vote of 96-2 tonight after Democratic and Republican leaders resolved an impasse that threatened to derail the legislation. The measure must also be approved by the House and signed into law by President George W. Bush. The House already has adopted many of the same rules in a measure that applies only to its members.
The new restrictions ``will remove even the appearance of impropriety from the work we do in this chamber,'' said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat. ``Americans, through their votes, asked us to make honest government legislation a priority. Now, we're going to move forward with this bill, and give them the government they deserve.''
The ethics package bans lawmakers from taking gifts, meals and overnight trips from lobbyists and the organizations that employ them. The Senate ethics committee would have to approve any privately funded trips before a lawmaker could travel. The measure also would force disclosure of the sponsors of pet projects, or earmarks, that are inserted into broader spending measures.
The Senate defeated an amendment by Senator Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent, to create an independent office to enforce discipline against members who violate ethics rules.
Temporarily Blocked
Senate Republicans yesterday temporarily blocked the legislation unless they could offer an amendment giving the president the power to strike specific items from spending measures and forcing Congress to re-approve them. Reid spokesman Jim Manley said the Republicans amendment, a modified line-item presidential veto, would be brought as a proposed amendment to a minimum-wage measure.
``Having amendments on bills in the Senate is routine,'' said Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, in defending the attempt to attach the line- item veto proposal to the ethics package.
Republicans never proposed a line-item veto themselves when they controlled the Senate and drafted ethics legislation a year ago. The U.S. Supreme Court in 1998 declared the line-item veto unconstitutional, striking down a law that former President Bill Clinton had used to eliminate about $1 billion in spending.
Republican Amendment
Senator Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, had said the proposed amendment was a ploy to kill the ethics legislation.
``They just pulled the line-item veto out of a hat in an attempt to stop ethics reform, which they don't want,'' Schumer said.
Proponents of stronger ethics laws also had criticized the Republican action.
``The American public is disgusted with corruption, scandal and Congress itself,'' said Joan Claybrook, president of Washington-based Public Citizen. ``This type of trickery by Senate Republicans reminds us all why.''
The ethics package also requires lobbyists to file quarterly reports instead of twice a year and to disclose their campaign contributions and the fundraisers they sponsor. Lobbyists could no longer host parties at the national political conventions to honor lawmakers.
Senators would have to pay the cost of chartering a corporate or other privately owned jet rather than pay the price of a first-class airline ticket.
By Jonathan D. Salant
Jan. 18 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Senate, making good on a campaign pledge by Democrats, approved ethics legislation that bans members from accepting gifts, meals and most travel paid for by lobbyists.
The package was approved by a vote of 96-2 tonight after Democratic and Republican leaders resolved an impasse that threatened to derail the legislation. The measure must also be approved by the House and signed into law by President George W. Bush. The House already has adopted many of the same rules in a measure that applies only to its members.
The new restrictions ``will remove even the appearance of impropriety from the work we do in this chamber,'' said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat. ``Americans, through their votes, asked us to make honest government legislation a priority. Now, we're going to move forward with this bill, and give them the government they deserve.''
The ethics package bans lawmakers from taking gifts, meals and overnight trips from lobbyists and the organizations that employ them. The Senate ethics committee would have to approve any privately funded trips before a lawmaker could travel. The measure also would force disclosure of the sponsors of pet projects, or earmarks, that are inserted into broader spending measures.
The Senate defeated an amendment by Senator Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent, to create an independent office to enforce discipline against members who violate ethics rules.
Temporarily Blocked
Senate Republicans yesterday temporarily blocked the legislation unless they could offer an amendment giving the president the power to strike specific items from spending measures and forcing Congress to re-approve them. Reid spokesman Jim Manley said the Republicans amendment, a modified line-item presidential veto, would be brought as a proposed amendment to a minimum-wage measure.
``Having amendments on bills in the Senate is routine,'' said Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, in defending the attempt to attach the line- item veto proposal to the ethics package.
Republicans never proposed a line-item veto themselves when they controlled the Senate and drafted ethics legislation a year ago. The U.S. Supreme Court in 1998 declared the line-item veto unconstitutional, striking down a law that former President Bill Clinton had used to eliminate about $1 billion in spending.
Republican Amendment
Senator Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, had said the proposed amendment was a ploy to kill the ethics legislation.
``They just pulled the line-item veto out of a hat in an attempt to stop ethics reform, which they don't want,'' Schumer said.
Proponents of stronger ethics laws also had criticized the Republican action.
``The American public is disgusted with corruption, scandal and Congress itself,'' said Joan Claybrook, president of Washington-based Public Citizen. ``This type of trickery by Senate Republicans reminds us all why.''
The ethics package also requires lobbyists to file quarterly reports instead of twice a year and to disclose their campaign contributions and the fundraisers they sponsor. Lobbyists could no longer host parties at the national political conventions to honor lawmakers.
Senators would have to pay the cost of chartering a corporate or other privately owned jet rather than pay the price of a first-class airline ticket.